QUICK TAKE: 'Graveyard Whistling,' Old 97's

Old 97's continue their remarkable run of consistently stellar alt country.

Pete Chianca

Whether or not you think Old 97’s are the best alt country band of the current millennium -- and you could definitely make the argument -- it’s hard to say it’s not the most consistent.

More than two decades and a dozen records in, they’ve never had a dud, and “Graveyard Whistling” is no exception: If anything, frontman Rhett Miller and company have upped the ante with their latest collection of guitar-fueled, rollicking, sardonic twang.

All the usual suspects are here -- Jesus, drinking, nostalgia, misanthropic women -- along with Miller’s long-cultivated skepticism about the efficacy of any of them.

A spooky rockabilly collaboration with Brandi Carlisle on “Good With God” is a highlight, but there’s not a loser in the bunch: Old 97’s never fail to make you feel you can handle anything life throws out you if you’ve got the right company.

LISTEN TO: “Irish Whiskey Pretty Girls”

Old 97’s play The Sinclair in Cambridge May 4-5; details at old97s.com.